Laugher is good medicne

Remember the movie, Singing in the Rain?  One of my favorite characters is portrayed by Donald O’Connor.  He sang and danced through one of the funniest movie scenes of all time.  The song was  Make ’em Laugh:

Though the world is full of a number of things I know we should all be as happy as

But are we?

No!  Definitely no!  Positively no.!  Decidedly no!     Mm mm,

Short people have long faces and long people have short faces.

Big people have little humor and little people have no humor at all!

And in the words of that immortal buddy Samuel J. Snodgrass, as he was about to be led

To the guillotine:

 Make ‘em laugh…make ’em laugh!   Don’t you know everyone wants to laugh?

(Ha ha!)

My dad said  “Be an actor, my son but be a comical one,

They’ll be standing in lines for those old honky tonk monkeyshines!”

 Now you could study Shakespeare and be quite elite,

And you can charm the critics and have nothin’ to eat.

Just slip on a banana peel….the world’s at your feet!

Make ‘em laugh…make ‘em laugh… make ‘em laugh!

 Make ‘em………make ‘em laugh!

Don’t you know everyone wants to laugh?

My grandpa said go out and tell ‘em a joke, but give it plenty of hoke.

 Make ‘em roar…make ‘em scream…take a fall…butt a wall…split a seam.

 You start off by pretending you’re a dancer with grace.

You wiggle’ till they’re giggling all over the place,

And then you get a great big custard pie in the face…..

Make ‘em laugh…make ‘em laugh…make ‘em laugh!

 Make ‘em laugh…make ‘em laugh!  Don’t you know all the world wants to laugh?

My dad said, They’ll be standing in lines for those old honky tonk monkeyshines

 Make ‘em laugh…make ‘em laugh!

 Don’t you know everyone wants to laugh?

 Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha

Ah ha ha ha ha ha

Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha

Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

Make ‘em laugh, ah ah!   Make ‘em laugh, ah ah!   Make ‘em laugh, ah ah!

 Make ‘em laugh!  Make ‘em laugh!  Make’em laugh!

The song got me thinking about how important laughter is to our enjoyment of life.  We’ve all heard it said that it takes 43 facial muscles to frown while only 17 muscles to smile.  There is really quite a debate over the number of muscles  needed to either smile or frown, but one thing is certain.  A smile is recognized all over the world as a sign of friendship and peace.

There’s been a lot of study about smiling and laughter.  In fact there’s even a name for the study of laughter…..gelotology.  Laughter begins as an uncontrollable reflex when babies reach about four months.  Is there anything more pleasurable than listening to a baby giggle?  Unfortunately, as children get older they are taught to downplay laughter by parents and teachers who try to emphasize the seriousness of life.  According to the Scientific American; “The attitude seems to be if you’re laughing, you’re not learning.  As a result, educators often neglect humor.  This is a big mistake because students learn better when teachers can present material in an amusing way.  A comic anecdote helps children remember, and an entertaining approach creates a more relaxed, enxiety-free learning atmosphere.”

In a study done by Marquette University, a list of 30 words along with a funny video clip were shown to students.  One week later the students who had been exposed to the video clip remembered 20 percent more words than those who only heard the words.  It is theorized that a good guffaw prepares the brain to retain information.  And laughter is contagious…just hearing laughter primes your brain and readies you to smile and join in the fun.  When laughter is shared, it binds people together and increases happiness and intimacy.    Laughing with friends releases feel-good brain chemicals which also relieve pain.  Also, if you are having trouble with a cross-word puzzle…watch 15 minutes of comedy and you’ll find you can more easily complete the puzzle.

  • Laughter relaxes the whole body.  A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes afterward.
  • Laughter boosts the immune system.  Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease.
  • Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals.  Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain.
  • Laughter protects the heart.  Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect you against heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.

Have you ever been in a tense situation when suddenly something unexpected happened and everyone broke into laughter completely shifting perspectives?  After a good laugh the tension is gone and new perspectives are more easily entertained.  The ability to laugh and play and have fun with others makes life more enjoyable.  It helps get perspective in problem solving, connects us with others, and helps us  become more creative and healthier.

Descartes said, “To do is to be.”      Sarte said, “To be is to do.”  But Frank Sinatra said, ……….. are you ready?…….”Do be do be do.”

For now, Earlynn’s just sayin’:  “Do be do be do!”   Come on, smile.  You know you want to.

 http://earlynnsjustsayin.org/daily-inspirational-thought-5/

 

 

 

 

About Earlynn

Earlynn is a spunky mother, grandmother and yes, even a great grandmother. I have always been drawn to things spiritual from the time I was very young. Over the years I have read, studied and prayed that God would use me to bring comfort to troubled minds. That is my purpose more than anything else, but along the way I have also lived a very happy life. I love my family....5 children, 5 inlaws, 18 grandkids and four great grandkids. I am a master cake decorator, I love gardening, I am passionate about health and nutrition. I love parties and gatherings of family and friends. I love cooking and at least twice each year I host dinner for 50. I love writing, teaching and public speaking. I love my sweetheart. We met when we were only 10 years old and will soon celebrate our 50th anniversary. Everything I do is centered on my spiritual beliefs and I know love is the answer to all of life's problems. Join me on my web site as we explore many ideas, laugh a little and love a lot.
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